


Two Thousand Eighteen

by FanofBttf



Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, As in an actually pretty cliché kind of fluff, But Mostly fluffy, F/M, Falling In Love, Not Related, Unreliable Narrator, mentions of dark stuff, obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-13 06:13:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16011941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanofBttf/pseuds/FanofBttf
Summary: Candace has always hated dissension. Unconformity. Rebelliousness. It is why she has thrived so much in the great nation of Drudoni, which, under the command of its Great Leader, is involved in a life-and-death struggle against Aspheria. It is her job to monitor the people around her, not just for traitorous actions, but also for traitorous thoughts. Her loyalties are to the Leader - she needs no one else in her life.Or does she?





	Two Thousand Eighteen

**Author's Note:**

> Written in response to this prompt provided to me by ToxicWaste: 
> 
> "Imagine your OTP working for a Big-Brother-esque government and arresting people for thoughtcrime." 
> 
> So, this is the first non-related AU I've ever written (as I recall) and it is only a one-shot. And the title is basically just a reference to '1984' or 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' as the official title reads, by George Orwell, which seemed fitting given, well, the topic. I'm not very clever with titles, I know. But who knows? Maybe you will find something to enjoy in it anyway.

Candace’s life was clearly defined. It had _always_ been clearly defined.

She got up in the morning at exactly six o’clock, ate breakfast, brushed her teeth, and then headed off to work from eight in the morning until eight in the evening, before heading home, having dinner and spending some time watching television before heading to bed at nine-thirty. It was not the most spectacular life, for sure, and it was not filled with as many activities as she once might have liked. She didn’t have friends, really, nor hobbies – it was the reason why she turned in so early – and she only shared a few words with the people she interacted with at work.

But it didn’t matter. Because Candace’s work _was_ all that she needed, because it was the one thing in life that gave her purpose. She knew it was the only thing that could give her purpose, really, aside from fighting on the frontlines herself (she had tried to enlist several times but been rejected for overzealousness). The fight on the home front was as important if not more so than the fight in Aspheria. Because no country could take on Drudoni with military means, due to the strength of the army, the devotion of the people to the cause and the wisdom of the Great Leader, they had to undermine their nation from within.

And Candace had seen it happen. Innocent people, loyal in every way, who had started questioning. Who had sought out subversive materials. And from there, it had only been a small step to openly doubting the Great Leader, openly arguing with his decisions about the way the nation was run. Didn’t they see that every step of hesitation would be exploited by enemies from without and within to strike? Didn’t they realize the extent of their ingratitude? They didn’t, because the moment a thoughtcrime occurred, the person they were would start dying, corrupted by the enemy. And it was that which Candace fought against with all her power. She tracked them through her monitors, checking every possible sign of thoughtcrimes, or even hidden materials. And when something was found, it was time to strike, to sweep in and incarcerate to see whether there was something salvageable in the battered psyches of the corrupted minds.

It was that thrill of action, the satisfaction that nothing would slip through the cracks and that Danville would remain loyal, obedient and safe, which was what Candace truly thrived on. Her city was disciplined, orderly and well-organized, all according to the infallible will of the Great Leader, and she was playing her part every day in helping bring it about. It was something to be proud of – it was the only thing one _could_ be proud of. What would she do with ‘family’ and ‘friends’ whose attachments would only constrain her? She looked down on the colleagues who thought they could have those in their lives. Candace’s life was focused fully on her contribution to Drudoni, and it was that what truly mattered.

And then this strange, triangle-headed co-worker was assigned to their division one day. His references were good, although from reading them Candace got a clear sense that his previous division had been trying to get rid of him – and within a day or two, she had a clear idea of why. Phineas, for that was his name, never seemed to be capable of simply following the rules. He was distractible, irritatingly cheerful, and worst of all, compassionate to those who were too far gone to have compassion for. Candace had to spend several valuable minutes in those first few days teaching him that his ideas of ‘helping’ people wouldn’t actually help them at all.

Yes, Phineas being so different compared to the rest of them was frustrating. There were multiple days when Candace would come home from work and, rather than just being able to go about her business, she could only think about him all evening until she finally fell asleep well beyond her normal schedule. Days on which she would wish that her superiors would see that although Phineas might be talented and creative, his ideas were unconventional enough that they provided more risks than they stymied off. 

And yet… and yet sometimes, when she was partaking in one of Phineas’ new ideas, or when she was listening to him blathering on about whatever boring subject had caught his fancy, Candace found herself relaxing despite herself. She was… well, the thought of ‘enjoying herself’ seemed to be too lighthearted given their severity of their job, and not fitting to someone as annoying as Phineas. The fact that he was trying to ‘comfort’ her, or giving her more compliments than she’d had in a very long time – compliments that somehow did feel better than just making top of the list of ‘most valorous citizens’ several months in a row – did not matter. Because really, what worth were compliments from an airheaded and childish guy? What good was ‘comfort’ from someone who clearly failed to understand the seriousness of her life and their country’s situation, of the importance of focus on the Great Leader and the Nation to the exclusion of all other so-called priorities?

It didn’t matter. Obviously it didn’t matter to her.

She was _not_ beginning to enjoy his company, nor seeking it out. That would be ridiculous and counterproductive. And that one time she invited him over to her home was because he still had leftover paperwork to do and she knew how undisciplined he could be with that, and she didn’t want him to get into too much trouble – not into more trouble than he deserved to be in, at least, because she knew he was a loyalist at heart. That was what her job was all about – keeping Danville safe, saving its people from themselves, Phineas included. And she was stern with him that night, continuing to watch him until all files had been filled in. The fact that he had to sleep on her couch was entirely irrelevant, as was the strange feeling of warmth within her stomach or the giddiness that she felt that someone was nearby.

It was just business. All of it. Candace lived for her nation, and she was more than satisfied with doing so.

She still invited him over more often, though, occasionally visiting his place but… well, she wasn’t ready for _that_ kind of irregular environment, really. Phineas didn’t seem to mind staying over at her more orderly home, even though he clearly wasn’t the best at fitting into it. He didn’t mind sitting next to her on the couch as she watched television, and the pleasant physical touch that came with it. He didn’t even mind sharing her bed so that if and when a counterrevolutionary attack came upon them, two of Drudoni’s most valiant soldiers, they would be able to present a united front from the start.

There was no reason why he should mind, after all. She was merely instructing him to be a more loyal servant of the Great Leader, instilling discipline in his life, and coordinating their teamwork in order to improve on their conduct during their daily raids. For Candace, it was really another way of honing her skills and honing his skills at the work that was the only thing that mattered in life. It even compensated for the fact that they sometimes stayed up until midnight instead of the solid routine she had had in place before.

It was all for her duty. That was all there was to it. No more, no less. Phineas was… her colleague. He couldn’t be more than that, for the simple reason that he was who he was and she was who she was.

Candace’s life was clearly defined. She had her morning routine, her hours at work, her television, and her bedtime. But now… Phineas was also there. And although she had not expected that, she did not want him to go away either.

Because she needed him, and he needed her, and they could help each other out in the fight that truly mattered.

Because Phineas’ presence added a little sprinkling of joy to her life that helped energize her and drove her even further in her passion to defend her city and all who lived in it.

And maybe, just maybe…

…because she loved him.


End file.
